Hildebrand Tewes Consulting

Hildebrand Tewes Consulting calls itself "a full service political consulting firm with a specialty in communications, research and field/grassroots strategy. Whether you are running for office, trying to pass a ballot initiative or launching an issue campaign, Hildebrand Tewes offers the expertise and experience you need to help achieve your goals. Hildebrand Tewes offers some of the top experts in the business including, two former political directors of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), a former press secretary at the DSCC, a former research director at the DSCC and a former political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. ... Hildebrand Tewes runs the communication and research arms of the powerful anti-war coalition Americans Against Escalation in Iraq."[1]

In February, 2008 journalists Matt Taibbi analyzed how the MoveOn-led Americans Against Escalation in Iraq has become "a political tool for the Democrats — one operated from inside the Beltway and devoted primarily to targeting Republicans. ... At the forefront of the groups are [former MoveOn lobbyist] Tom Matzzie and Brad Woodhouse... [M]uch of the anti-war group's leadership hails from a consulting firm called Hildebrand Tewes Consulting — whose partners Steve Hildebrand and Paul Tewes served as staffers for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. ... This is the kind of conflict of interest that would normally be an embarrassment in the activist community. ... The really tragic thing about the Democratic surrender on Iraq is that it's now all but guaranteed that the war will be off the table during the presidential campaign. Once again — it happened in 2002, 2004 and 2006 — the Democrats have essentially decided to rely on the voters to give them credit for being anti-war, despite the fact that, for all the noise they've made to the contrary, in the end they've done nothing but vote for war and cough up every dime they've been asked to give, every step of the way." [1]

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Spinning for the Democrats on the War in Iraq

On August 11, 2007, the New York Times noted: "Even as they call for an end to the war and pledge to bring the troops home, the Democratic presidential candidates are setting out positions that could leave the United States engaged in Iraq for years. ... Americans Against Escalation in Iraq has created its 'Iraq Summer' campaign to persuade members of Congress to support legislation changing course in Iraq. While the group is focusing on Republicans across the country, including deploying a blimp to fly above the Iowa straw poll on Saturday, it has not weighed in on the Democratic side of the presidential race and the fact that several Democratic candidates call for an extended but limited military commitment in Iraq. “We are in a good position when leaders are debating the best way to bring our troops home,” said Moira Mack, a group spokeswoman, “rather than whether or not to bring them home.” (Mack works for Hildebrand Tewes Consulting.) [2]